Process of treating oysters and other mollusks.



i No Drawing.

lus for the purpose of depositing mother- KOKICHI MIKIMOTO,

OF TOKYO, JAPAN.

PROCESS OF TREATING OYSTERS AND OTHER MOLLUSKS. I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Koitiom Mnrnro'ro, a subject of the Emperor ofJapan, residing at No. 3 Shichome, Ginza, Tokyo, Empire of Japan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvementsin Processes of TreatingOysters and other Mollusks, of which the f ')llo\ ving is aspecification.

The present invention relates to a novel process ,for the deposition ofmother-ofpearls, and has reference more particularly to a method ofinjecting a liquid or lique-- fied substance by "means of a fine needlesyringe into the mantle of the pearl-oyster or similar species ofoysters. The liquid substance so injected acts as an artificial stimulus for the deposition of mother-of-tpearl, nacreous secretion beingformed around the said stimulus by the oyster or other bivalve until theliquid stimulus is completely encysted' or encapsulated in concentriclayers, whereby beautiful pearls may be produced.-

The object of the'present invention is to obtain perfectly round pearlsin a comparatively simple and easy manner.

A further object of the invention is to effect the process in such amanner that the artificial stimulus may be maintained firmly in itsdesired position from the time that it is injected into the mantle ofthe oyster or other mollusk.

In' the ordinary method, the liability of the stimulus to move away fromthe posi-- tion where it was first introduced has been a great drawback;frequently the stimulus is expelled from the shells. These drawbacks arewholly obviated b the present inyention, whereby the liqui stimulus isin- Jected by means of a fine needle syringe. Furthermorethepresent'p'rocess'has the advantage that the trouble incident to themanufacture of a special nucleus or stimuof-pearls is avoided.

My improved process is effected in the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 8, 1910. Serial No. 571,043.

Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

following manner -VVhen the young oysters are old enough to be operatedupon, they are taken out from the beds. A liquid or liquefied substancewhich will not be injurious to the development and growth of theoysters, which substance is preferably mercury, is then injected intothe mantle of the oysters at the desired point by means of a fine needlesyringe, a suitable quantity of such liquid, as mercury, being injectedinto each oyster. The 0 sters thus operated upon are then replante intothe beds, where they remain for a certain number of years. In themeantime, as the oysters cannot expel the liquid which has beenintroduced as before described, they encystfor encapsulate the substanceby secreting nacreous matter around it, with the final result thatmotherof-pearls is produced.

Althou h the substance used for in ection consists preferably ofmercury, I do not limit myself however to such material, as othersuitable substances may be used.

I claim:

1. The process of treating oysters and other mollusks, which consists ininjecting mercury into the mantle of the oyster, the mercury becomingencysted durin the growth of the oyster or other mollus in a secretionof nacreous matter formed around it, with the eventual formation ofmotherof-pearls.

2. The process of treating oysters and other mollusks, which consists ininjecting mercury into the mantle of the oyster by means of a fineneedle syringe, the said mercury serving as a stimulus for the formationof a nacreous secretion around it, with the eventual formation ofmother-of-pearls.

Signed-at Yokohama, this fourteenth day of June, 1910.

KOKICHI MIKIMOTO. Witnesses:

HAMTADA YonUMURA, GENJI KURIBARL.

